Rating: 
Summary: Wonderful book and recipes
Review: As one who has struggled with spirituality, the laws of kashrut, and being the one in my family to carry on the heritage of "Jewish cooking", I loved this book! I learned a lot about Jewish customs and laws (my husband did not believe me about burying your dishes until I showed him in the book) and I identified with the author in many ways. I learned to cook the way she did, and wrote down the recipes as she did (make a well with the flour . . .) so her descriptions were very meaningful. I've tried and loved some of the recipes. This book would be a wonderful newlywed gift, especially for someone converting to Judiasm or considering keeping a kosher kitchen!
Rating: 
Summary: Delightful!
Review: At its best, this is a wonderful memoir that affirms the role of women in preserving traditions and ritual, and celebrates the life of the author's Holocaust-survivor mother-in-law. It focuses on how we pass on traditions and ethnic identity via food. I loved the descriptions of the family holidays, which were rich with details about food preparation.
That said, I agree with a previous reviewer who said this book was too long by at least a third--I had to really push myself to finish it. The repetitive commentary on how difficult it is to keep kosher and strictly observe Passover were tedious--I got the points the first time they were made(and couldn't help thinking about the people in my life who do both and don't make a production out of it.) Additionally, I found the author a little annoyingly judgemental (i.e., if you don't keep kosher, you have broken the link between your children and their ancestors)--but hey, it's her book! Finally, I found it a little odd (or not well explained) that: 1) she became extremely observant in this one area, but did not seem to adopt many other traditional observances, and 2) she was faily accepting of the inequality of the sexes that can co-exist with orthodox observance.
Bottom line, the stories of Ehrlich's parents and in-laws were fascinating, while the story of her own journey needed some editing.
Rating:
Summary: A wonderful memoir, with some flaws
Review: At its best, this is a wonderful memoir that affirms the role of women in preserving traditions and ritual, and celebrates the life of the author's Holocaust-survivor mother-in-law. It focuses on how we pass on traditions and ethnic identity via food. I loved the descriptions of the family holidays, which were rich with details about food preparation.
That said, I agree with a previous reviewer who said this book was too long by at least a third--I had to really push myself to finish it. The repetitive commentary on how difficult it is to keep kosher and strictly observe Passover were tedious--I got the points the first time they were made(and couldn't help thinking about the people in my life who do both and don't make a production out of it.) Additionally, I found the author a little annoyingly judgemental (i.e., if you don't keep kosher, you have broken the link between your children and their ancestors)--but hey, it's her book! Finally, I found it a little odd (or not well explained) that: 1) she became extremely observant in this one area, but did not seem to adopt many other traditional observances, and 2) she was faily accepting of the inequality of the sexes that can co-exist with orthodox observance.
Bottom line, the stories of Ehrlich's parents and in-laws were fascinating, while the story of her own journey needed some editing.
Rating:
Summary: Kiss the pages
Review: Elizabeth Ehrlich wrote a beautiful book, so beautiful that you may feel impelled to kiss the pages. She brings us Jewish family life rich with images and words that deeply evoke the reader's feelings and memories, but that some how never get lost in excesive sentiment. In this nicely balanced and charming piece of literature, Ehrlich writes, "Religion is a story that tells us how to live," but Miriam's Kitchen too is a story that tells us how to live--and how to serve; how to respect, how to love, how to appreciate, how to observe, how to question and while we are at it, how to make coffee cake and sweet and sour cabbage. It's at once very Jewish and at once something that can be appreciated and enjoyed by anyone from any ethnic or religious background. Best advice: Buy more than one copy. It's the kind of book you will want to give away again and again.
Rating:
Summary: Loved the book!
Review: Enjoyed the recipes, sharing in the author's thoughts about keeping kosher, learning Miriam's history. I wish I'd written this book-I love it.
Rating: 
Summary: A book that transports, but the editing could be better.
Review: Having grown up Jewish in a secular house, with grandparents
who kept kosher and walked to shul on the holidays, this
book spoke to me. Ehrlich paints a wonderful picture of the
previous generation and the things that gave meaning not just to their lives but to the lives of the families they raised.
The recipes are a wonderful addition to the book and they
bring me back to both my grandmother's and my mother's kitchen.
I'm thankful to say my mother is still a wonderful cook and I
am collecting all of her recipes to pass on to my children.My one criticism of the book is that it is poorly edited. I find some of the sentence structures to be very awkward. I almost didn't continue reading the book because I found the writing to be less than elegant but... the subject matter drew me in. It was a worthwhile read for me but I wish the writing were better.
Rating:
Summary: A book that transports, but the editing could be better.
Review: Having grown up Jewish in a secular house, with grandparents
who kept kosher and walked to shul on the holidays, this
book spoke to me. Ehrlich paints a wonderful picture of the
previous generation and the things that gave meaning not just to their lives but to the lives of the families they raised.
The recipes are a wonderful addition to the book and they
bring me back to both my grandmother's and my mother's kitchen.
I'm thankful to say my mother is still a wonderful cook and I
am collecting all of her recipes to pass on to my children. My one criticism of the book is that it is poorly edited. I find some of the sentence structures to be very awkward. I almost didn't continue reading the book because I found the writing to be less than elegant but... the subject matter drew me in. It was a worthwhile read for me but I wish the writing were better.
Rating:
Summary: Touching and mouth-watering
Review: I finally read this book after meaning to for a long time--and I'm glad that I did. The premise of this book, a true story, is that a young Jewish daughter-in-law is learning to cook from her husband's mother, Miriam, who is a cook par excellence and a concentration camp survivor. Although the book is peppered with everyday and Jewish holiday recipes, the beauty of the narrative is the growing appreciation that the author, a young career woman, finds for her aging mother-in-law. This book is a rare combination--a book for foodies (of which I am admittedly one) and a book for women who are learning to appreciate the wisdom of an older generation. The book is sometimes funny, sometimes serious, but always tantalizing and perpetually interesting. I highly recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: Warm and delicious
Review: I picked up this book not hearing anything about it. What a treat! Not only are the recipes a treasure, but the entire book is. It is truly heartwarming and I will go out of my way to seek Ms. Ehrlich's future books.
Rating:
Summary: not my generation, BUT....
Review: I purchased this book for my mom. She called me 3 days later-crying over what a beautiful GIFT this book was to her and how it stirred such beautiful memories of her family and especially her grandmother.
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